• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Tossing Out Food In The Trash? In Seattle, You'll Be Fined For That

Status
Not open for further replies.
Oh get out of here with the riduclous hyena analogy. It's not the same. People would be able to witness someone letting a hyena loose. People aren't going to be checking garbage bags.

Oh some people are stupid. Some might throw away their mail along with their unsorted trash, for instance. Putting cameras and watching who puts what in different colored trash bins or whatever they use to collect trash is another way to identify problem tenants if the need arises.
 

Coins

Banned
if you are throwing away "half a tray of rice" you should just put it in a container and eat it later.

But maybe you don't want more rice later? Why don't restaurants cut back on portions?

I don't eat leftovers so yeah, I throw a lot of food away.
 

terrisus

Member
Oh get out of here with the riduclous hyena analogy. It's not the same. People would be able to witness someone letting a hyena loose. People aren't going to be checking garbage bags.

Of course it's not the same.

But the point is that if a problem arises - especially one that is costing management money - they're going to identify where the problem is coming from.
 
greenbin.jpeg.size.xxlarge.letterbox.jpeg


I thought every major city has it's own home food waste service. This is so fucking easy and if you want compost, just save it up.
Los Angeles County definitely does not have those. Do you just toss food waste straight in there, or can you bag it up/at least put a bag in the can?
 

Syriel

Member
Oh some people are stupid. Some might throw away their mail along with their unsorted trash, for instance. Putting cameras and watching who puts what in different colored trash bins or whatever they use to collect trash is another way to identify problem tenants if the need arises.

This. If it's a one off problem, no one is likely to care. But if it is an ongoing issue, management will investigate to find the source. Any responsible company would.
 

SaskBoy

Member
People do that?

They shouldn't. When people dispose of food scraps down their sink it increases the cost of treating the wastewater because of the increased organics loading.

I'm not sure how I feel about municipal food waste composting. Food waste doesn't make good compost, and the only market for it will most likely be people with backyard gardens. So what happens with all the leftover compost that they don't sell or have a use for? I'm guessing it just ends up getting disposed at landfills anyway.
 
Did you read the OP? This has nothing to do with not eating the food.

Seattle is simply requiring that people toss food waste into a compost bin rather than a trash bin.

If they're too lazy to do that...well there's no hope.

I know. But my post was directly addressing the posts which I happened to quote.
 

slit

Member
Of course it's not the same.

But the point is that if a problem arises - especially one that is costing management money - they're going to identify where the problem is coming from.

And all I'm saying is they can't nessessarily which makes it unfair to them and the tenants who do comply. Literally, there are people who will do it on purpose just out of spite. I've seen it. People can be resentful creatures.
 

Zoe

Member
They shouldn't. When people dispose of food scraps down their sink it increases the cost of treating the wastewater because of the increased organics loading.

At least it should be better than people who just flush food down the toilet.

(can't remember if it was this forum or another that had that thread)
 
How would they know if you throw out food? I always use heavy duty black trash bags, so no one can tell what's inside. Do people actually throw food directly in the can with no bag?
 
Sorry.... Wasn't Seattle the place where the final to that legendary film "no retreat no surrender" was held. Good memories. Shame about the waste food.
 

terrisus

Member
And all I'm saying is they can't nessessarily which makes it unfair to them and the tenants who do comply. Literally, there are people who will do it on purpose just out of spite. I've seen it. People can be resentful creatures.

No offense meant, but are you being willfully ignorant, or do you just not understand?

If apartment management wants to find out where a problem is coming from - a problem which is costing them money - they will find it.

If they don't/won't/can't, and raise everyone's rates as a result, then that's your choice for renting from bad/incompetent management.
 
How would they know if you throw out food? I always use heavy duty black trash bags, so no one can tell what's inside. Do people actually throw food directly in the can with no bag?

These kinds of threats are deterrents. Like I said earlier, SF has had a mandatory food waste separation policy since like 2011 and they haven't handed out a single fine in all that time.

It will take decades for the concept to permeate through the population, just like recycling.
 

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
And all I'm saying is they can't nessessarily which makes it unfair to them and the tenants who do comply. Literally, there are people who will do it on purpose just out of spite. I've seen it. People can be resentful creatures.

It takes time, but once fines start rolling in, things happen. Plenty of countries already do this and they have people too. I don't know how they catch people not recycling the proper way, but Americans out here who think they don't have to obey German laws get hemmed up for it regularly. It's not unlike speeding. If you change a stretch of road from 75 to 55, you'll have people who will still go 75. If the cops don't enforce it, or enforce it sparingly, they'll still continue to go 75. Now, start to just ticket everybody who goes 75 and eventually, word will get out and there will just be a few assholes left. Same principle.
 

EvilMario

Will QA for food.
Los Angeles County definitely does not have those. Do you just toss food waste straight in there, or can you bag it up/at least put a bag in the can?

Some people bag them, some people don't. For our kitchen compost bin, we bag it with biodegradable bag just so it's easier to dump and clean.
 

ShowDog

Member
So if you don't want to maintain your own compost on your property you have to pay the City a separate fee to collect compost-eligible waste, which they will then resell later down the line?

Sounds stupid.

The end goal is admirable, but sorting through this stuff post-collection would be the most effective. If that isn't feasible, be transparent and just raise the rates for everyone and make those who manage their own compost eligible for a waiver. If the cost is too high then they shouldn't be doing this yet.
 

dLMN8R

Member
So if you don't want to maintain your own compost on your property you have to pay the City a separate fee to collect compost-eligible waste, which they will then resell later down the line?

Sounds stupid.

The end goal is admirable, but sorting through this stuff post-collection would be the most effective. If that isn't feasible, be transparent and just raise the rates for everyone and make those who manage their own compost eligible for a waiver. If the cost is too high then they shouldn't be doing this yet.

Seattle doesn't charge residents extra for compost. It's included for every homeowner with trash collection, including the compost bin.
 

Zoe

Member
Seattle doesn't charge residents extra for compost. It's included for every homeowner with trash collection, including the compost bin.

That's not what the article says:
The city gives households bins to fill with their food and yard waste. But residents don't have to compost it themselves: They can just leave the bins curbside and have the city pick it up for a fee.

Micro-can that's 13 gallons or so is like 5.45 a month, I think? So basically a 1.30-1.40 per week roughly or something, Too lazy to do math right now. Bigger cans get more expensive.
 

Shouta

Member
Yeah, I think recycling is free but I could be wrong on that, lol.

Composting stuff into the bin is super easy though. It amazes me anyone is so lazy that they can't have a second bucket near their trash and dump the compostable stuff in that. You just need to take it out every night but that's easy too.
 

Metalmarc

Member
Got one of these green food recycle bins here in the UK, don't think they're everywhere in the UK yet, I'm in wales, my girlfriend is in north England and she does not have one.

But it Almost feels like

image.jpg


"30 years in the cubes for the wrong disposal of your food scraps Creep"
 

slit

Member
It takes time, but once fines start rolling in, things happen. Plenty of countries already do this and they have people too. I don't know how they catch people not recycling the proper way, but Americans out here who think they don't have to obey German laws get hemmed up for it regularly. It's not unlike speeding. If you change a stretch of road from 75 to 55, you'll have people who will still go 75. If the cops don't enforce it, or enforce it sparingly, they'll still continue to go 75. Now, start to just ticket everybody who goes 75 and eventually, word will get out and there will just be a few assholes left. Same principle.

I'm telling you there are places here where people do not care. There are people who don't even put their trash in a bag much less compost it. Speeding is not something you can hide, it's easy to catch. It's a moot point anyway since they'll never do this outside a few cities. They don't even have recycling where I'm currently living and I live in a fairly large metro.
 

slit

Member
No offense meant, but are you being willfully ignorant, or do you just not understand?

If apartment management wants to find out where a problem is coming from - a problem which is costing them money - they will find it.

If they don't/won't/can't, and raise everyone's rates as a result, then that's your choice for renting from bad/incompetent management.

No offense but you have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe in your neck of the woods people skip down the street singing Kumbaya but that's not everywhere. Property managers are sometimes tied up up in courts, parking disputes, and noisy neigbors. Trash cannot be a high priority with some of them.
 

Struct09

Member
Yeah, I think recycling is free but I could be wrong on that, lol.

Composting stuff into the bin is super easy though. It amazes me anyone is so lazy that they can't have a second bucket near their trash and dump the compostable stuff in that. You just need to take it out every night but that's easy too.

In Seattle recycling is free, even if your recycle bin is overflowing or you set a tower of cardboard on top of it.

This law will finally get me to stop being lazy and sort my compost. I've been meaning to do it for a while.
 

DonasaurusRex

Online Ho Champ
Seattle really does compost all the compostables and pickup is weekly, free and they give you an enormous bin. It's actually pretty useful once you get used to it.

Thats all i need to know , long as they have set apart days and ways to comply who cares. Many people did this for decades anyway and had their own home gardens. Here where I live its a set apart day for recyclable material.
 

terrisus

Member
No offense but you have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe in your neck of the woods people skip down the street singing Kumbaya but that's not everywhere. Property managers are sometimes tied up up in courts, parking disputes, and noisy neigbors. Trash cannot be a high priority with some of them.

Well, numerous people in this thread have said the same thing. So if I "have no idea what I'm talking about," other people are in the same boat as well.

Either way, the answer to your "problem" of one person in a complex throwing food out with the trash and management not caring to find out who it is, and instead passing the fine along to everyone is - if that's what happens, that's what happens. You either deal with it and pay the increase, get on management to figure out who it is, or find another apartment.
 

slit

Member
Well, numerous people in this thread have said the same thing. So if I "have no idea what I'm talking about," other people are in the same boat as well.

Either way, the answer to your "problem" of one person in a complex throwing food out with the trash and management not caring to find out who it is, and instead passing the fine along to everyone is - if that's what happens, that's what happens. You either deal with it and pay the increase, get on management to figure out who it is, or find another apartment.

Okay so.....you just argued in one big circle with me for no reason as I said that to begin with. lol

The law would be applied to unfairly, especially to low income areas.
 

Syriel

Member
I work for Metro Vancouver. It is my office that is implementing the organics waste ban in the Lower Mainland.

We are very interested in your thoughts on this matter. Please post any questions/comments you have.

http://www.metrovancouver.org/servi.../background-implementation/Pages/default.aspx

For Seattle people, please continue to post your thoughts as well, as your organic waste ban has progressed further along than ours

Here in SF it is pretty straightforward.

We have separate bins for trash (black), recycling (blue), and compost and yard waste (green)

If it was once alive it goes in the green bin.

If it is recyclable, it goes in the blue bin,

Everything else, goes in the black bin.

Hazardous materials (paint, batteries, circuit boards, old TVs) and large items have to either be brought to a specific location or handled via special pickup.

Once a year we get a notice that we can pick up a free compost bag (it's something like 1 pound or so). If we want more I think there is a minor fee.

The system seems to work because there is really no reason not to separate unless you're lazy AF. It's simple and requires minimal effort.
 
Overeating is a big problem in America. If someone decides he can't finish his burger and fries, then he's better off throwing it away and sparing his health than forcing it down. The cents you waste in food isn't worth the potential health-related costs associated with overeating. That doesn't mean I support wasting food. Portions could be smaller, and people also tend to overbuy. It'd be nice if I could repackage my uneaten food and donate it to the needy, but that isn't realistic. Rather, if this was an ongoing dilemma, I'd have to reassess my whole approach to food quantity.

That's why we have a fridge to keep uneaten food.
 

terrisus

Member
Okay so.....you just argued in one big circle with me for no reason as I said that to begin with. lol

The law would be applied to unfairly, especially to low income areas.

I disagree, and you've done nothing to show otherwise.

And further, this sort of law exists in many communities already, so even going off of your point... alright? Places still do it anyway.
 

jblank83

Member
"I found dirty rags with oil on them and just really messy pieces of plastic that were wet," he says. So Ward took the opportunity to do some outreach.

"I ended up actually taking those things and putting them on the main counter in the lobby of the condominium, and I just wrote a note to everyone and I said, 'Are these things recyclable?' "

I fully support recycling but this guy is a jackass.
 

slit

Member
I disagree, and you've done nothing to show otherwise.

And further, this sort of law exists in many communities already, so even going off of your point... alright? Places still do it anyway.

You just said it yourself. If it has to be unfair so be it.

So now your arguing with what you said.
 

terrisus

Member
You just said it yourself. If it has to be unfair so be it.

So now your arguing with what you said.

I honestly have no idea what you're even talking about.
I give up.

Enjoy having a share of fines mixed in with your rent.
 

slit

Member
I honestly have no idea what you're even talking about.
I give up.

Enjoy having a share of fines mixed in with your rent.

Okay did you not just say this:

if that's what happens, that's what happens. You either deal with it and pay the increase, get on management to figure out who it is, or find another apartment.

.....and then say you disagree it' not unfair. lol

Wow
 

terrisus

Member
When aren't laws applied unfairly, usually against the poorer?

Just to remind, the original quote I responded to was this:

What I'm saying is I don't know how they would know whose trash belongs to what person even if there is different bins for different recylables. What if they just don't use the recyling bin?

Which was one of a series of posts about "Well, what if I'm not at fault? How are they going to know who's to blame?" posts like this:

There is no way they force people in a multi-level integrated buildings as there is no way to know what garbage belongs to who

Which was before I was even involved. And that was what most of the discussion was on that topic until it somehow morphed at the end.

But, as I said, I'm done with it. If he doesn't want to believe there are ways for apartment owners to find out who is doing what, oh well.
 

slit

Member
Just to remind, the original quote I responded to was this:



Which was one of a series of posts about "Well, what if I'm not at fault? How are they going to know who's to blame?" posts like this:



Which was before I was even involved. And that was what most of the discussion was on that topic until it somehow morphed at the end.

But, as I said, I'm done with it. If he doesn't want to believe there are ways for apartment owners to find out who is doing what, oh well.

Oh get over yourself acting all butthurt. Nobody said other apartments haven't done it. You must have no idea what it's like running a big complex. You say there are ways to yet never gave one example and tried using a hyena to make your point.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom